STARKVILLE — Starkville Utilities is holding a series of free workshops for residents that want to learn the basics of sealing their house and lowering their electrical bill.
It announced the lessons in a Wednesday press release, as part of a regular seminar series it conducts twice each year. With energy rates from federal electricity wholesaler the Tennessee Valley Authority rising 5% in October, General Manager Edward Kemp told The Dispatch residents can have an even greater impact on their bottom line by cracking down on wasted energy.
“These workshops are something we do on a regular rhythm, but with rates being higher it’s more important than ever,” he said. “Anything people can do to save and make their homes more efficient, they will see that on their power bill.”
The workshops will be held Nov. 6 and 7. On Wednesday, they will start at 11 a.m. in the Emerson Discovery Center, 5 p.m. in the First Presbyterian Church and 6:30 p.m. in the Starkville Sportsplex Annex Building.
The Sportsplex Annex Building will also host classes at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Thursday, with the series’ last class starting at 5:15 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection.
“The seminars are usually between 45 and 60 minutes long,” Kemp said. “They’re very interactive, they give an opportunity for residents and customers to ask a lot of questions. It’s mainly geared toward things you could do on a residential property to improve your energy efficiency.”
The workshops are a partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority, a federally owned electricity company that powers much of the southeast, including north Mississippi. Workers from TVA attend each workshop to advise attendees and answer questions.
“Residents can learn what appliances use the most energy and what repairs or upgrades would have the biggest impact on their bills,” TVA Marketing Manager Ashley England said. “Energy efficiency is a win-win for us, since it helps residents save money and helps us maintain a more reliable grid while reducing the need for expensive infrastructure that would only serve occasional peak energy usage.”
Attendees will also get a kit with energy-efficient lightbulbs, weather strips and caulk to help implement what they’ve learned.
Starkville Utilities runs a similar program of workshops for K-12 students, conducted through local schools and civic groups. Those aren’t open to the public and are organized on a looser schedule than the bi-annual programs.
Kemp also encouraged residents to take advantage of the EnergyRight initiative, which offers free home energy audits for customers. Home energy advisors certified by the TVA conduct home visits to advise residents on how best to insulate their home and reduce waste energy.
For those without the time for a full home visit, EnergyRight also has an online DIY Home Energy Assessment that gives participants advice, an energy-saving kit in the mail and a $10 home improvement gift card. Until the end of the year, the TVA has increased that gift card to $20.
Residents can sign up for both of those programs online at the EnergyRight website.
“We want our customers to be empowered with the tools and information they need to make decisions about their utility usage,” Kemp said. “This is part of what public power is all about. We’re here to serve the customers and provide them with what they need, and part of that is education.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
